1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an assembly and system for flushing the cooling system of a marine engine with fresh water which originates from an on-board, maintained water supply. The maintained water supply may also serve as the primary source of water used for drinking, cleaning, toilet functions, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
The internal flushing of marine engines, of varying types, especially when the water craft and associated marine engine is used in salt water is often problematic and time consuming. However, the flushing procedure of the engine""s cooling system is normally considered imperative to extending the life of the engine and assuring its reliable operation. After use, and depending upon the marine environment in which the boat is operated, the engine may contain salt water, sand, mud, and a variety of different contaminants or debris, all of which have a tendency to corrode the engine if not properly removed on a timely basis. Often after each use, the boat operator must flush the cooling system of the engine mechanically, using an external, fresh water source and one or more flushing devices which are known and commercially available.
In general terms the cleaning or flushing process may involve the forcing of clean or fresh water through the cooling system of the engine to remove the salt water and other contaminants therefrom. This is accomplished by introducing a forced flow or stream of water through the cooling system. However, the majority of the more commonly used flushing devices are for the most part externally applied. As such, these known devices must be attached to the marine engine in some effective manner so as to establish fluid communication with the interior of the engine and the cooling system in particular. The aforementioned external water source used to create the forced flow of fresh water through the engine is commonly a conventional water hose.
Other known or conventional methods include the use of mechanical devices applied to the engine, and/or to the water hose which is used as the supply of fresh flushing water. Examples of such devices are commonly known as xe2x80x9cearmuffsxe2x80x9d which serve to attach the water hose to the water inlet at the bottom of engine column, such as in an outboard or outboard/inboard motor. It is well recognized that such conventional techniques are inconvenient in that a water hose of sufficient length is frequently not available. Also the flushing of the cooling system of various types of marine engines involve other mechanical devices or procedures which have a tendency to tax the physical stamina or at the very least requires a significant amount of time being spent.
In an effort to overcome many of the disadvantages and problems of the type set forth above a number of different approaches to flushing fresh water through a marine engine have been attempted. By way of example only, it is also known to provide portable flushing assemblies which include the use of a portable, external water reservoir structured for the temporary storage of water. Utilizing such a system or procedure still requires a supply of water being connected to the temporary reservoir and therefore involves the use of a water hose of the type set forth above. In addition, such known systems must also include some type of delivery system which serves to establish a fluid connection or communication between the temporary water reservoir and the cooling system or interior workings of the marine engine. As such, a delivery system often requires the use of a water pump which in turn necessitates access to some type of power source not associated with the water craft.
The inconvenience of such known or conventional marine engine flushing systems is therefore apparent. While, it is assumed that known flushing devices and procedures of the type set forth above may be at least minimally operative for their intended function and purpose, they do not significantly overcome long recognized problems and disadvantages existing in the marine industry. This is at least partially due to the fact that known systems of the type described still have to be connected to and disconnected from the engine being flushed. Such systems still require establishing fluid communication with a conventional source of water each time the flushing system is utilized. Other known disadvantages associated with conventional flushing systems or devices comprise the inability to effectively flush a marine engine when the water craft is not operating or is in a location which prevents the operation of the marine engine in a safe manner.
Accordingly, there is a significant and long recognized need in the marine industry for an improved flushing assembly and system which overcomes the problems and disadvantages of the type set forth above. Such an improved flushing assembly should be unique in its operation, at least to the extent of being continuously disposed in an operative position including being permanently attached to the marine engine. As such, the improved flushing assembly should be operative to provide for the passage of cooling water through the marine engine in the conventional fashion while the marine engine is operating to power the water craft. In addition, a preferred and improved flushing assembly and system should not rely on access to a conventional water source not associated with the water craft, such as a water hose, each time flushing of the marine engine is required.
To the contrary, a preferred flushing assembly should have an established access to an existing path of fluid flow disposed between a permanent, on-board, continuously maintained fresh water supply and the marine engine. Such a fresh water supply could also be the common source of water for other applications on the water craft and/or be provided in the form of an auxiliary fresh water reservoir. Such an auxiliary reservoir would also be permanently maintained on-board the water craft. In either of these embodiments a supply of fresh water would be continuously available for the flushing of the marine engine whenever and wherever the operator deems necessary.
Finally, such an improved flushing assembly and system should be capable of being either remotely controlled such as by electrical activation of the operative components thereof.
Alternatively and/or in conjunction with the remote control and electrical activation, the control of fresh water from the maintained water supply should be capable of being manually controlled or activated. The permanently installed nature of such a preferred flushing system and assembly allows the operation of the marine engine in a conventional fashion, wherein cooling water is forced through the marine engine. Also, after operation of the engine it may be flushed with fresh water without requiring any connection/disconnection of externally mounted devices, as is common in conventional flushing assemblies.
The present invention is directed towards an assembly and system structured to flush one or more marine engines of a water craft with fresh water in a manner which overcomes the disadvantages and problems associated with conventional or known flushing systems. At least one distinguishing feature of the various preferred embodiments of the flushing assembly and system of the present invention is the utilization of fresh water permanently stored on-board the water craft as a maintained water supply. Depending upon the size and purpose of a given water craft, a permanent water reservoir is normally included as part of the craft""s operating equipment. Water is maintained within the permanent reservoir and utilized for a variety of utilitarian purposes such as drinking, cleaning, toilet operation, etc.
Therefore, the flushing assembly and system of the present invention utilizes the stored fresh water from the maintained water supply to flush the cooling system of the one or more marine engines associated with the water craft. It is of course recognized that the water in the maintained water supply will have to be periodically replenished because of normal use of the various facilities on the water craft. However, the flushing system and assembly of the present invention will eliminate the inconvenience, physical effort and wasted time associated with locating and utilizing a water hose and/or an off-board, temporary reservoir each time the marine engine must be flushed.
Therefore, it is emphasized that the term xe2x80x9cmaintained water supplyxe2x80x9d is intended to include a supply of water maintained on-board the water craft in a substantially permanent reservoir, as set forth above. However, this term is also meant to include any auxiliary or augmented supply of fresh water maintained in a reservoir on-board the water craft, whether or not such auxiliary water supply is directly associated with the primary source of fresh water, as indicated above, or is used primarily for the flushing of one or more marine engines.
Accordingly, the flushing assembly and system of the present invention comprises a path of fluid flow disposed in fluid communication between the maintained water supply and the one or more marine engines which are to be flushed. Upon activation, a stream of water is forced to travel along the path of fluid flow upon activation of a water pump. The water pump may be an auxiliary pump specifically associated with the flushing assembly of the present invention. Alternatively, a water pump already installed on the water craft and used to force water flow from the maintained water supply to any other facility on the water craft may be adapted for use in supplying fresh, flushing water to the marine engines.
Unlike many if not all the conventional or known flushing devices, at least one preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an adaptor assembly which preferably is permanently mounted to the one or more marine engines and serves to establish a stable connection between the path of fluid flow and the marine engines being cleaned. As such, the adaptor assembly comprises at least one adaptor member secured directly to a conventional water outlet associated with each of the marine engines to be flushed. The water outlet is normally provided for the discharge of cooling water which is forced through the cooling system of the marine engine during the normal operation thereof as the craft travels through water.
Further, the adaptor assembly comprises an individual adaptor member for each of the marine engines and, as set forth above, a permanent securement or mounting of the respective adaptor members are provided. The term xe2x80x9cpermanentxe2x80x9d as used herein is meant to describe a mounting, connection, or attachment of the adaptor member which remains in place during the normal operation of the marine engine. Naturally, even with the aforementioned permanent mounting, connection, etc. the one or more adaptor members may be removed for repair, replacement maintenance, etc. while still being accurately described as permanently mounted or connected to the marine engine. Accordingly, the structure of the adaptor assembly, and in particular the adaptor member associated with each marine engine, allows for the flow of cooling water therethrough as it is being discharged from the cooling system during the normal operation of the engine. Alternately, fresh water passes through the adaptor member, during the flushing procedure, as the water enters the cooling system from the path of fluid flow and exits through the normal cooling water inlet associated with the marine engine.
As set forth above, the adaptor assembly is structured to interconnect the path of fluid flow in fluid communication with the cooling system of the marine engine. However, one feature of the various preferred embodiments of the present invention is the provision of a flush valve assembly disposed and structured to at least partially regulate and determine the flow of water into and out of the marine engine. As such, the flush valve assembly, in at least one preferred embodiment of the present invention, is remotely controlled and electronically activated so as to be selectively positioned into and out of a plurality of operative positions.
Therefore, at least one of the plurality of operative positions provides for the flow of water from the path of fluid flow through the flush valve assembly and the corresponding adaptor member into the cooling water outlet of the marine engine and through the cooling system thereof. The flush valve assembly may also be selectively oriented into at least a second of the plurality of operative positions. When in the second operative position, fluid communication between the path of fluid flow and the marine engine is restricted as cooling water enters the cooling water inlet of the marine engine and passes through the cooling system in the normal fashion when the engine is operating. The cooling water is then discharged from the outlet of the marine engine through the adaptor assembly and flush valve assembly to an area of normal or specifically directed discharge.
While the flush valve assembly, in at least one preferred embodiment of the present invention, is remotely controlled and electrically activated, it is also capable of being manually controlled and actuated through the manipulation of the various components of the flush valve assembly, as will be described in greater detailed hereinafter. However, in a most preferred embodiment of the present invention the flush valve assembly can be remotely controlled to accomplish its orientation into and out of the plurality of operative positions. Remote control of the flush valve assembly allows the operator of the water craft, such as while located at the controls thereof, to accomplish either conventional cooling of the marine engine when it is operating in the normal and intended fashion or alternatively the flushing of the one or more marine engines with fresh water from the aforementioned on-board, maintained.water supply.
Electrical activation of a magnetic switching assembly, or other operative switching structure, facilitates the remote control. In the one or more preferred embodiments incorporating the remote control and electrically activated flush valve assembly, the power source for the activation thereof can be derived from the conventional, on-board power source of the water craft. Similarly, the aforementioned water pump and other operative components to be described herein can similarly be operated, controlled and activated to accomplish the efficient and effective operation of the flushing assembly and system of the present invention.